1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a looper thread holding apparatus for a sewing machine and a method of holding the cut portion of the looper thread using the apparatus which can be suitably applied to a looper sewing machine ]For passing a looped elastic braid through a circular sewn product such as clothes.
2. Description of the Related Art
When an elastic braid is to be sewed on or passed through a cylinder portion 2 of a cloth 1 such as an undergarment shown in FIG. 1 by a looper sewing machine having a plurality of needles, for example, the sewing operation is conducted while rotating the cloth 1 in the direction of an arrow A, under the state where a plurality of looper threads are held by a looper thread holding apparatus disposed inside the bed of the sewing machine. As a result of this sewing operation, a plurality of seams 3 are formed over the circumference along the circumferential direction.
In the related art, the next sewing operation is started under the state where the looper threads are kept held by the looper thread holding apparatus. Therefore, the ends 4 of the looper threads are left extending from the starting portions 3a of the seams 3 to form so-called fluff having a length of about 5 to 7 cm. When the ending portions 3b of the seams 3 exceed the starting portions 3a or the lap seam is conducted, the ends 4 are sewed in the ending portions 3b. After the sewing operation, the operator must manually cut away the ends 4 of the looper threads, thereby producing a problem in that this cutting operation requires much labor and a long time.